Kicking off its 120th anniversary with a meaningful cause, NUS organised a charity walk on its Kent Ridge campus on 8 February 2025, raising more than S$880,000 from donors and the University community in support of NUS undergraduates with financial difficulties. 

Close to 1,200 students, staff and alumni – along with their families and friends – signed up for the NUS120 Charity Hongbao Walk, which was followed by festivities to celebrate the Lunar New Year. 

The 8km walk was flagged off by NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Professor Aaron Thean, NUS Students’ Union President Sean Pang Kai Xiong and NUS Students’ Sports Club (NUSSSC) President Jayden Lim. 

Proceeds from the event will go towards the NUS Enhanced Financial Aid Scheme. The scheme covers tuition fees and contributes towards living expenses, on-campus residency, as well as overseas opportunities for full-time Singaporean undergraduates from low-income backgrounds. 
 

A force for good

Speaking at the event, Prof Tan reflected on the spirit of service that has underpinned the University’s evolution from a modest medical school founded in 1905 to a global university that conferred degrees to nearly 16,000 graduates last year. 

“Today, NUS is a global university that engages in cutting-edge research, and also seeds enterprise efforts around the world. And on top of all that we do in our core mission areas of education, research and innovation, there is one important calling that grounds and also guides all of us, and that is to serve our country and community,” said Prof Tan.

Noting the timely significance of the University’s 120th anniversary, coinciding with national celebrations for Singapore's 60th year of independence which is themed “Building Our Singapore Together”, Prof Tan said: “Today’s walk is also a building block to build a strong, better and more united community and this exemplifies the heart of NUS, and also our commitment to come together to uplift others.”

Among the donors to the charity walk was the Building and Estate Management Alumni (BEMA), which made a S$10,000 contribution. Dr Teo Ho Pin (Design and Environment '85), President of BEMA and Adjunct Professor at the NUS College of Design and Engineering (CDE), said, “The Building and Estate Management Alumni has always been supportive of NUS’ fundraising projects, contributing to scholarships, bursaries and building funds over the years,” citing their previous donations for University Town and the NUS Alumni Complex, where the NUSS Kent Ridge Guild House and Shaw Foundation Alumni House are located. “BEMA hopes that NUS will continue to be a world-class university to nurture future talent for the global economy.”

Jayden, the President of NUSSSC – one of the event’s partners – lauded the charity walk as an example of how “sports and service can unite individuals and ignite passion under one common purpose”.

“It’s truly heartwarming to see students from every faculty rally around this meaningful cause. Their willingness to step up and support the Enhanced Financial Aid Scheme speaks volumes about our culture of care here at NUS — proving that when diverse minds and hearts come together, we can create a lasting impact for those who need it most,” the Year 3 NUS College and Arts and Social Sciences undergraduate reflected.

Tracing the milestones

Starting and ending at University Hall, the two-hour walk covered areas such as University Town and Prince George’s Park, passing by many NUS colleges, faculties and schools.

The route took participants down various milestones in the University’s journey. These included the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, which shares its anniversary with NUS; the NUS Business School and Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, which celebrate their 60th and 10th anniversaries respectively this year; and Singapore's first net-zero energy building cluster, located at CDE.

Participants also passed by upcoming additions such as the sports-themed hostel Valour House, and Acacia College, NUS’ upcoming fifth Residential College, which has a special focus on artificial and human intelligences.

Along the route, lively busking performances by student musicians Top Gs and the SNAFU Wind Quintet from Tembusu College and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music kept spirits high. 

The excitement continued after the finish line, with a thrilling lion dance display by the NUS Lion Dance group, as well as performances by a cappella group NUS Resonance and mandopop group NUS Voices. Besides the traditional tossing of yusheng, participants were treated to hotdogs, ice cream and cotton candy, game booths, and a lucky draw.

The charity walk was also graced by two unique AI-powered guests – a robot dog and a humanoid robot – under the guidance of Assistant Professor Fan Shi from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at CDE. Built by robotics firms Unitree Robotics and EngineAI respectively, they showcased the innovative research conducted by Asst Prof Shi’s Human-Centred Robotics Lab, which develops novel AI-based approaches to enhance the intelligence and safety of robotic platforms, ensuring their reliable operation in human-centric environments.

Ms Sonia Sanjeev Wadhwa, a graduate of the NUS Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Statistics programme (Science ‘20), said she enjoyed the nostalgic journey through the campus grounds while reminiscing with fellow alumni about their university days. “The best part was meeting other alumni and current students—it was fun sharing stories about our times at NUS. Walking around campus brought back so many good memories, especially all the times spent with friends and the good food ... Overall, it was a meaningful and nostalgic experience, all while supporting a great cause,” she said.